I am reallly not feeling well. I am still getting sick and vomiting from my meds. If you read my other post, I was on Vicodin, but that was not helping my pain. DR put me on Percocet. Got sick, then tried Lortabs. Still getting sick. Then I went to Ultracet, but it didn't help the pain at all. Now I am back on Vicodin. I have been in a lot of pain today, and was up again til five am last night. I am getting scared. My bowels are not being normal (I have taken pain meds before and never had this problem), I am throwing up almost daily, feeling sick, pain, and doing so two to six hours after taking a pain med. I am worried. I don't want to keep running to my DR day after day, but I don't know if this qualifies as something I need to go to the hospital for (non-emergent). This has been going on for over a week. Please, any help would be great. I tried taking pepto, but that makes it worse. I can't even take a pain med now for my pain, and I need it.
(Any help tonight would be great, if I can't figure out what to do by late morning tomorrow, I will have no choice but to see or call my DR)
Thank you so much for your help,
Melissa

Hello Mellissa
I cant help you much. I am in the same situation as you .Was on vicodin - then norco but they started making me vomit . They changed me to duragesic patches - started them friday and vomited all day yesterday . Ended up taking the patch off and going through withdrawal stuff all night long - I am also trying pepto and mylanta but nothing helps being sick at my stomach either.
Wish we both had answers . Maybe someone will get one in a little while and reply with a answer .

what is going on with your bowels? Normally narcotics cause you to have constipation, if you aren't having constipation or your stools are normal you are fine. If you are having diahreah (sp) then that is a problem.
I'm not really sure what to advise you on the meds you've taken the basic classes of them. Percocet is strong, did you try halving it?
Have you tried Darvocet? Not that strong but if your stomache can handle it then that's a better choice.
Nausea is normal but tends to go away, throwing up however, isn't usually a normal response to pain medications unless you are on too high of a dose.

What you *could* try is valium, it is proven it works well for back pain and muscle problems. You might ask. Yes it's a totally different class but it could help and should not upset your stomache like the narcotics are.

Have you ever been hospitalized or had surgery where you had pain medication that didn't make you sick? If so I'd find out what it is if you don't know by requesting to look at your medical records or talk to the doctor who may of treated you.

Thats about the best advice I can offer, any other meds would be a lot stronger than what you are taking now and a patch I think would be 100xs worse because it goes into your system faster.

I have been constipated for the past month. I will now go up to five days w/o a bm. I normally get constipated with stress, and with pain meds, but not this bad. I have had three in-patient surgeries. Meds varied from Morphine, to percocet, and vicodin. The only times I usually got sick to my stomach was if I took the meds on an empty stomach. That is why I am more concerned that this is a bowel issue, rather than a med issue. I took the percocet for a week w/o getting sick. I have been drinking a lot of fluids and my diet hasn't changed too much. I am less active than normal which I know aides in constipation. Since I know a fair amount about nursing and stuff, things start going through my head like bowel obstruction (since I throw up food that I ate four to six hours prior). I don't want to become dependent on stool softners either, but that is the only way I will have a good bm. I also worry b/c I used to be very bad about taking any meds w/food. I didn't like to eat when I wasn't hungry, so I would take them w/o food. I'd take motrin (up to 1000mg) on an empty stomach. I have learned NOT to do that, but I have no idea if the many years of doing that did anything to my stomach. I appreciate the help, I am still at a loss. I just don't want to go back to my dr again and again.
Dosage: Percocet 325mg, Vicodin 500mg/650mg. I don't take them together. Either or, but not both.
So bottom line, I am constipated and I rarely get sick off my meds.

I hate to say it, but it could be a constricted bowel. What types of surgeries did you have? My mom had a constricted bowel from scar tissue from gall bladder surgery over 9 years before. The stupid hospital could not diagnose it & sent her home & she was not able to hold down any food & was in terrible pain, went back to the hospital & they still could not diagnose it til the bowel burst. It was 3 months of daily horrors whether or not she would make it. They told me she had 19 different bacteria in her body due to the bowel bursting. I would insist on some tests of the bowel to see what is going on before it gets to that point. I wish you the best & hope it's not that, but wanted you to be aware that it could be.

They have a name for the scar tissue that wrapped around her bowel, I can't remember it, but that is what happened, it strangulated her bowel.

Could you ask your doc about using some type of suppository pain meds?I know they make them,but not too sure just what is availiable but I would think the doc would be able to come up with something.I also have totally messed up bowels right now.I suffered spome pretty significant nerve damage to many nerves and two spinal tracts during a spinal cord surgery this past sept.I also have damage to my sympathetic nervous system,the SNS damage is causing all kinds of messed up problems in just about every area of my body.One real bad thing that I am dealing with is the loss of peristalsis in the R side of the bowl.I have to actually massage the R side of my abdomen to keep things movin along in there or my constipation becomes really really bad.I have also been taking sennekot on a daily basis since I had my surgery and found out when I stopped it temporarily that my bowels work much better when I take it as opposed to when I don't.I really feel for ya.It just sucks.But I would definitely talk to your doc about the suppositories.It could make a really huge difference since you would avoid the stomch problems entirely.Just a thought.Good luck,Marcia

No I don't think its a restricted bowel at all.
Constipation with narcotics is common whether you have a bowel problem or not. Especially in morphine and Percocet. Percocet you can work through after a few weeks of high fiber diet. 20 - 30mg a day, morphine you can not you just go with it (sorry for the pun).

If you talk to those over in the pain management board you'll get the same exact answer or do a search on that board there's some at home recipe / remedies there and an explanation on why it happens.. We all suffer from it from the medications. Some medications such as morphine cause urine delays which is a real pain. You think you have to go but you sit there for 10 minutes before anything happens.

I go through the same thing as you, I can go as long as a week w/o a bm. Drink tons of water, eat lots of fiber and a stool softner every now and again. I have IBS and Microscopic Colitis and prior to going on the Morphine I was regular every day sometimes more if I had a flare up.

I wouldn't worry about it because if you call your doctor or even your pharmacy or read your medicine pamphlet they will all say the same, constipation.

In reading the different side effects have you considered morphine? It is not supposed to cause vomiting, in fact they said that Percocet is by far the strongest in terms of bad side effects in it's class. I would go on the timed release instead of the instant acting. There are two types of sulfate, one slowly releases over time called Kadin which I think would be better for you, and the MS Contin which is what I take and it releases does twice and you get hit hard with them so that may not be a good option. You may find you are going to have a lot less problems with it. I had more probs with Percs over a longer period of time than I did with the the morphine. I was sick constantly but not vomiting. With the morphine I got sick the first two days after that all was well.

Definately talk to your doctor about it. You could take a small dosage of valium at night with it if you are having troubles with it still. You don't want to be too groggy during the day.

You might want to post your question over in PM as well as others there may have some really sound advice regarding your meds.

here is what they say about Percocet:
The most frequently observed adverse reactions include lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation,[b] nausea, and vomiting[/b]. These effects seem to be more prominent in ambulatory than in nonambulatory patients, and some of these adverse reactions may be alleviated if the patient lies down.

Other adverse reactions include euphoria, dysphoria, [b]constipation[/b], skin rash, and pruritus. [b]At higher doses, oxycodone has most of the disadvantages of morphine including respiratory depression[/b]

Here is morphine which is what I take. I experience drowsyness, urination problems and contipation

• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking morphine and seek emergency medical attention:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· slow, weak breathing;
· seizures;
· cold, clammy skin;
· severe weakness or dizziness; or
· unconsciousness.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take morphine and talk to your doctor if you experience
· constipation;
· dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, or decreased appetite;
· dizziness, tiredness, or lightheadedness;
· muscle twitches;
· sweating;
· itching;
· decreased urination; or
· decreased sex drive.
• Morphine is habit forming. Do not stop taking it suddenly.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

thanks everyone. I feel better today, though I still have a ick feeling in my tummy, it isn't as bad. I will see how things go the next couple of days. I had a small bm today, and am not real nausetaed. BUT, I haven't taken the vicodin or any other meds yet either. I think for today I will just stick w/ the ultracet unless pain gets really bad. Thanks for all the help!
(oh, no abdominal surgeries except for the appendectomy I had back in 1997).

There is also a new timed release Morphine called Avinza which while giving you quick acting particles, also gives you timed release acting ones so you don't have as many ups and downs as the medication wears off and you are ready for a new dose. Only bad thing is that it takes three days to get to the steady state level. The FDA allowed the release back at the end of March, but it's only now just being pushed to the doctors as the manufacturer went into production. Talk to your doctor about it. It might be just the thing.

I will bring up the Avinza to the back dr when I see him on Wed. I am beginning to think all this is really related to constipation and a general upset stomach. I haven't taken anything today except the ultracet and still don't feel one hundred percent. Like I said before, pain meds NEVER made me sick UNLESS I didn't eat, but I was feeling sick after large meals (well, it would make sense that if you eat a large meal and it has no where to go due to constipation, that ya might get sick, right?)
I thank you all again

Hey Mel, try eating smaller meals about 5 times a day, and again definately bulk up on fiber. I know it's uncomfortable, sometimes I get nauesous too right before I have a bm, sorry don't mean to be gross. But it's like I get so backed up theres no place for anything to go!
Try some of the OTC products for fiber. Also theres a prescription medication, I will have to find it for you, that my doctor said he could give me as a last resort that will fix the problem so it's a thought.

I am sure you will find whats right for you, just may take a a bit of time.

Mel,
Definitely lots of water. I try to eat lots of citrus too. But still haven't had one in 4 days. OOww. You're not suffering alone. Constipation is the bane of all narcotic users. Good luck, hope you get unstuck and find a pain med that works for you.

Theres actually some paste recipe over in Pain Mangement section of the board, I guess it's supposed to really work.
My doctor suggested Prunes or Prune juice because it has a laxative in it as well as the fiber. All I know is it tastes gross and when I tried it it worked, in fact it worked too well! LOL
I'm in the same situation as you folks.. uggh the things we have to put up with LOL

gotta love this, this should be called the poop post. I called my mom the RN who I like to think is a BM specialist (she did a whole inservice on bowel management for her job). She agreed it def could be the constipation and suggested I try Dulcolax Tabs in addition to increase in fiber. I am drinking a fair amount of fluids, but do need to knock it up a notch. I had a bowl of raisin bran this am, and will get apples and probably some dried prunes at Wally World tomorrow, plus the Tabs. I have taken Bisacodyl before and it works, but usually I get horrible cramping and "expolosions"(sorry about that, didn't know how to say it w/o being too gross), but she recommended the Dulcolax, so that is what I will try. I tend to forget how many things affect my bowels: Travel, change in work hours, stress, pain meds, change in diet.... I also get this way after surgeries b/c I am not as mobile, or walking as much as I usually do. So, there is a lot of ways I get this problem. Did you all know that: smoking, drinking beer, and walking help to stimulate the bowels?? Those were just a few of the remedies on her inservice, we all had a good laugh at the stick people she and the other RN drew for this, plus the drinking and smoking thing. Did you know that some DRs will actually prescribe a can of beer to a pt during hospital stay if that is what they were using at home to stay regular? I found it so funny when I was at work and there was a six pack of beer in the patient fridge